Dean’s Pizza steps in for sandwich shop’s lack of character

POSTEDMarch 13, 2012 10:22 p.m.

Dear Editor,I wanted to share a story with you about a local business that does not support our local schools and a local business that does support our local school with civility and good character.Last week for our Crowell Elementary School's Tri Star Assembly I provided students with a certificate for a free sandwich meal at a local sandwich shop located on Golden State Boulevard. The certificates were given to Crowell School to use as incentives. There was no expiration date on the certificates just the local sandwich shop name and address.Prior to me passing out the over 180 plus certificates to the students for good grades, attendance and behavior I put our Crowell School stamp on them to provide proof to the sandwich shop that they were given by a school site.Later on that day I received a phone call from the sandwich shop's owner/manager that they are new owners and they would not be accepting the certificates that I had given out and then the owner/manager accused me of possibly stealing the certificates. There is now a sign up in the window of the sandwich shop business stating that the certificates were stolen and that they are not honoring them. I have had several phone calls to the sandwich shop, the sandwich shop headquarters and the regional offices to no avail and have discussed with them that we are a community and a school district that promotes civility and good character and that their company is providing neither.So I contacted Tom Clark at Dean's Pizza located here in Turlock. I shared with him what had taken place with the sandwich shop and the number of students who were heartbroken. Tom immediately asked how he could help us. He has donated enough personal sized pizza certificates to replace the sandwich shop certificates. Tom Clark and Dean's Pizza truly are the model for Civility and Good Character. Crowell Elementary School would like to publicly thank Tom Clark and Dean's Pizza for their continued support of the Turlock Unified School District and the Turlock Community.- Terry SouzaAssistant Principal Crowell Elementary School